Rapid strep test cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 10 hospitals list a cash price for rapid strep A antigen test from a throat swab, read visually: from $50.60 to $149.66, with a median of $132.00. The lowest listed price is at UC San Diego Medical Center — $81.40 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $110.76 at 84 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 6 cities for code 87880, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and May 29, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC San Diego Medical Center lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Strep Test (Streptococcus, Group A) | $50.60 | $92.00 | $10.03–$124.20 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A | $110.76 | $213.00 | $12.00–$35.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A | $110.76 | $213.00 | $12.00–$35.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A | $110.76 | $213.00 | $12.00–$35.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC STREP A ASSAY W/OPTIC - RAPID STREP A SCREEN | $132.00 | $176.00 | $11.12–$2,033.48 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC STREP A ASSAY W/OPTIC - RAPID STREP A SCREEN | $132.00 | $176.00 | $1.15–$140.80 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC STREP A ASSAY W/OPTIC - RAPID STREP A SCREEN | $132.00 | $176.00 | $1.00–$158.40 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC STREP A ASSAY W/OPTIC - RAPID STREP A SCREEN | $132.00 | $176.00 | $1.15–$140.80 | 25% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Point Of Care Rapid Strep A | $135.75 | $181.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Uc-Rapid Strep | $135.75 | $181.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Strep Confirmation | $149.66 | $249.44 | $7.06–$196.81 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Strep A, Rapid | $149.66 | $249.44 | $7.06–$196.81 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Strep A Antigen With Optic | $159.00 | $212.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Strep Rapid Antigen | $166.50 | $222.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $50.60, median $132.00, highest $149.66 — a 3.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $132.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 6 of 9 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
A rapid strep test checks a throat swab for group A strep bacteria, the cause of strep throat, and gives a result in minutes. It helps the clinician decide whether antibiotics are needed.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the rapid test only. The visit is billed separately, and a backup throat culture, if done, has its own charge.